1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a module and method for detecting a defect of a thin film transistor substrate. More particularly, the present invention relates to a module and method for detecting disconnection of a signal line of a thin film transistor substrate of a display panel.
2. Related Art
Liquid crystal display devices typically include a liquid crystal display panel for displaying an image thereon in accordance with an external control signal, and a driver for driving the liquid crystal display panel. The liquid crystal display panel may include a plurality of gate and data lines, a thin film transistor (TFT) substrate with TFTs and pixel electrodes provided thereon, and a common electrode substrate with a common electrode provided thereon.
In order to reduce the cost of such display devices, a gate driver may be connected to a plurality of gate lines and integrated on one side of the TFT substrate. To detect disconnection of gate lines during manufacture, gate power may be applied by the gate driver to the positions of the gate lines on one side (e.g., left side) of the disconnection region, but not to portions of the gate lines the other side (e.g., right side).
For large display devices, a single gate driver may not supply sufficient gate power to the gate lines. Accordingly, gate drivers may be integrated on two sides of the TFT substrate to supply gate power to the gate lines. However, the disconnection of gate lines cannot be easily detected for such structures during manufacture. For example, if gate drivers are positioned at both the left and right sides of gate lines, gate power may be applied to gate lines to the left of a disconnection by the gate driver positioned on the left side, and gate power may be applied to gate lines to the right of a disconnection by the gate driver positioned on the right side. Thus, if a gate line is disconnected, the gate power will nevertheless be applied to both sides of the gate lines and disconnection of the gate line cannot be easily detected.